Liberty coach Chris DeMarco explains reasons behind Betnijah…
Barclays Center shall be packed Sunday for a blockbuster matinee — a rematch of the Commissioner’s Cup title game, a battle of the past two WNBA champions, a possibility for the Liberty to avenge their only loss of the past three weeks.
But the battle against four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and the Aces will come without “the heart” of the Liberty, who waived Betnijah Laney-Hamilton on Thursday — ending the guard’s six-season run in New York — then noticed the former All-Star get claimed off waivers by the Washington Mystics on Saturday.
Chris DeMarco, coach of the New York Liberty, seems to be on during the second quarter against the Seattle Storm at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday, August 3, 2026. Getty Images
“Betnijah’s a tremendous player and a tremendous person,” Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco said following Saturday’s follow. “She meant so much to this group and still does. I do know it was actually tough looking for the proper commerce companions for her and still in the end, we wished to offer her a possibility the place she’s in a position to contribute and have a bigger function and that’s why we received to this point.
“Even at the start of the season, she expressed if there’s other alternatives, she wished to take a look at those. It got here to the point, just as a team all of us understood what this is and what we’re attempting to perform. For her, it was looking for her the proper place the place she will succeed and really feel good.
“Coming off a major injury … it was a tough year all-around for her. … It’s just one of those things where she felt like she wanted another opportunity and we did our best to try to help her.”
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton of the New York Liberty warms up previous to a game against the Dallas Wings during a daily season matchup at Barclays Center on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
Laney-Hamilton, a starter on the 2024 title team, missed all of last season with a knee injury, then struggled to seek out her type under a new head coach.
Despite opening the season as a starter, Laney-Hamilton, 32, had fallen out of the rotation over the past 4 weeks and hadn’t performed in eight straight games. This season she noticed her fewest minutes (16.8) in eight years, averaging 4.7 factors, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while capturing 36.2 p.c from the discipline.
Cutting ties with Laney-Hamilton allowed the Liberty to signal developmental participant Marine Fauthoux to a multi-year contract.
But the roster still has a gap that can’t be stuffed.
“She’s been the heart of this team even well before I got here, and I think that it’s really sad to see her go, and I know a lot of people are having that similar sentiment,” Breanna Stewart said. “She’s just been somebody who’s uplifting, even when she’s not been on the court docket while coping with injury, and he or she’s a shiny spot that we’ll undoubtedly miss.
“B was so New York, you know? The toughness, the grit, the determination.”
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